Dean Faile, President & CEO, York County Regional Chamber of Commerce

Invest: sat down with Dean Faile, president and CEO of the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce, to discuss how York County is navigating sustained population growth, strengthening its workforce pipeline, and aligning regional partners around long-term priorities. “Businesses need to be engaged in their communities and transparent about operations, safety, and employee care. The days of companies operating in isolation are over,” Faile added.

What recent changes have had the biggest impact on York County’s business environment this year, and how are your members responding?

The trend continues to be growth in the area. You can’t ignore it, and with that growth comes challenges. One of the biggest milestones this past year was the passage of our fifth iteration of Pennies for Progress, which pushed York County past a billion dollars in infrastructure and road investment.

That investment has set us apart. York County is often seen as the envy of other counties in the Charlotte MSA when it comes to transportation and mobility. Being able to move people and product efficiently is critical, and it continues to be a major factor in why businesses are looking at York County as a place to locate and expand.

You have previously highlighted advanced manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and fintech as growth sectors. How has that momentum evolved??

Those sectors remain the primary drivers. Advanced manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and fintech are still strong, and we’re also seeing increased interest in corporate headquarters, particularly in the Rock Hill market.

The Palmetto Research Park is a great example of that opportunity. It’s rare to have a 230-plus-acre site directly on I-77, and that proximity places it about 30 minutes from the international airport. That kind of access is a real asset, and it continues to attract interest, especially from manufacturing and headquarters operations.

Manufacturing demand does create some challenges, particularly when companies want to locate directly along I-77. The city of Rock Hill has been proactive in annexing additional property south of the city and investing in infrastructure toward Chester County, which will help accommodate that demand.

Hospitality also remains strong. York County benefits from a dual dynamic. Carowinds anchors tourism on the north end of the county, while Rock Hill has built a national reputation around sports tourism. Rock Hill’s slogan, “competition lives here,” really applies across athletics, tourism, and even business. That competitive spirit is a strength of the region.

Workforce development has been a major focus for the chamber. What progress have you made, and what programming are you building out?

Over the last three years, the No. 1 challenge we hear from businesses of all sizes is talent. That includes recruitment, retention, upskilling, and removing barriers that prevent people from entering certain industries.

To address that, we built LIFT, our Leadership Institute for Talent. LIFT includes 17 programs and initiatives that form a continuum for talent development, and that continuum starts early. We have programs supporting students from kindergarten through middle school, followed by career awareness and exploration for eighth graders as they begin selecting graduation plans and career pathways.

From there, we work closely with high schools, career and technical education programs, and higher education partners to support work-based learning. One example is our EPIC program, the Employer Provided Innovation Challenge. EPIC allows us to place 25 to 30 students, either high school or college, with a single employer for a semester.

Those students research the business, learn its operations, and help address a real challenge the company is facing. Most employers can only take one or two interns at a time. EPIC allows us to scale access for students while giving employers meaningful engagement with future talent.

We’ve also structured our internal team to support this work. Celeste Tiller, our vice president of workforce and talent development, has led the buildout of LIFT. Dylan Bolton, who graduates from Winthrop University this December, will serve as our first LIFT program manager. On the leadership side, Colleen Dick, our senior vice president, oversees leadership development and upskilling initiatives.

Many employees are promoted into leadership roles just a few years into their careers. They’re suddenly responsible for recruiting, managing teams, and aligning goals with company strategy, skills that aren’t typically taught in college. Our leadership programs help bridge that gap.

What are employers telling you as they engage with these initiatives, particularly around attracting and retaining younger generations?

This is exactly why we created these programs. Employers are struggling to build reliable talent pipelines. In the past, posting a job might generate more applicants than they could manage. Today, even when companies attract strong candidates, retention can be a challenge.

Often, people leave not because of compensation, but because the workplace environment or culture doesn’t align with what they’re looking for. We help employers evaluate what’s driving turnover. Sometimes it’s transportation or housing. Sometimes it’s childcare. Sometimes it’s the work environment itself.

We’re seeing that younger workers are more team-oriented and mission-driven. They want purpose, collaboration, and consistent feedback. Helping employers understand how to build those feedback loops and team-based cultures is increasingly important.

While approaches vary by organization, building a diverse workforce remains critical to long-term success. We’re not prescriptive, but we do focus on giving employers the tools to create environments where people feel connected, valued, and part of a team.

With rapid population growth, how is York County balancing infrastructure, housing, and quality-of-life concerns, and what role does the chamber play?

The growth is going to continue. York County has doubled in population over the past 25 years, growing from about 150,000 residents to more than 300,000, and projections show it could double again over the next 25 to 28 years.

That growth puts pressure on more than just roads. Water, sewer, and power infrastructure all have to keep pace. Power, in particular, has become a growing concern as data centers and AI-driven operations increase demand. Long-term investment in the grid is essential.

Another challenge in high-growth areas is land use. Residential development and industrial property are increasingly close to one another. When people don’t understand what happens inside nearby facilities, concerns can arise. Sometimes those concerns are valid, and sometimes they’re based on uncertainty.

Communication is key. Businesses need to be engaged in their communities and transparent about operations, safety, and employee care. The days of companies operating in isolation are over. When businesses and neighborhoods intersect, trust and communication matter.

The chamber helps facilitate those conversations, connecting employers, residents, and local leaders. In fast-growing communities, that role is critical.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities over the next few years, and what is your overall outlook?

Talent will remain our top priority for the foreseeable future. Growth alone doesn’t solve workforce challenges. In fact, rapid change makes them more complex.

Technology has already transformed how we work, communicate, and learn. Now AI is accelerating that change even further. At the chamber, every staff member uses AI in some capacity, not to replace thinking, but to support research, analysis, and efficiency.

In advocacy, AI has become a valuable tool. When thousands of bills are filed during a legislative session, AI can help us quickly identify and summarize legislation tied to priorities like childcare, affordable housing, tax policy, and infrastructure.

That same adaptability needs to extend to education and workforce development. By the time a student completes a four-year degree, the job they trained for may look different. Higher education must focus on foundational skills, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

That’s why work-based learning and career exploration are so important. Preparing people to be flexible and adaptable is just as critical as teaching specific technical skills.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

One important point is alignment. Visit York County, York County Economic Development, and the York County Regional Chamber meet monthly and work closely together. We’ve collaborated on a shared effort called Make It York County.

The goal is to present a unified message, whether someone is looking to live here, visit, start a business, or pursue an education. York County offers strong higher education options, a growing economy, and a high quality of life.

When economic development, tourism, and the chamber reinforce the same story, it helps the community understand what we’re building and why. That alignment strengthens our ability to grow thoughtfully and sustainably.